I have two calligraphy pens a Pelican with changeable nibs medium and thick, a Lamy Calligraphy pen in medium a black red pen. I never used them for letters. I think it ridiculous to get a letter typed one can print it from the computer when you receive email. I get snail mail here and it is very relaxing I use my great collection of fountain pens. If you want to know more my interest look at journal and profile, my email is :safari_dejavu@yahoo.com

Salvete! My name is Noora, and I'm a 22-year-old Finn studying art & the local language in Hungary. Come summer, I will go where the wind blows, my thumb as my transportation method over Europe; come fall, the shackles of Alma Mater will draw me back to Finland to finish my BA (comparative literature & philosophy). I speak Finnish and English fluently, intermediate Swedish, and French, German, Latin & Hungarian at elementary levels.

I write a lot of letters, to prisoners (both political and those who have actually made a mistake in life- gasp), fellow uni students across the world, and interesting people in general. My letters tend to be long, a minimum of 4 pages but usually 6-12, depending on how intense our correspondence gets. I have a dear pen friend with whom our letters constantly stay at over 20 pages. And yes, we both use dip pens (unless on the road).

As for my calligraphy -- I tried orthodox calligraphy. It wasn't for me. I'm one of those who are constantly inventing new letterforms, and seeking to perfect the balance between beautiful writing & writing fast. (When you look at the history of calligraphy, you'll notice that the style changes were largely due to precisely this: trying to make writing faster while preserving the beauty). When I was writing in carolingian or uncial (carolingian still being my favourite), I was constantly thinking of all the alterations I could make: "I want to make that curved line straight! I want a huge curvy decoration here!" The result was a very usable script of my own, which still is constantly changing.

What I look for in a pen pal is not just that the letters will be pretty. I'm looking for someone I can genuinely relate to, and with whom I have a lot in common. I expect intellect and willingness to dive into the unknown. I expect committed thinking; ideally, you won't shrug things off thinking, "that's just the way it is". There's something of a revolutionary in you (though you don't have to share my political opinions [I'm an anarchist], yours should be well grounded in both passion and facts). In short, you should be open-minded, sharp and full of life, and willing to share this in your letters. I know this might sound elitistic and demanding, my apologies for that. It's just that I'm no longer looking for just any pen pal. I'm looking for a match, in a non-romantic sense of the word. Someone whose thoughts will raise thoughts in me. Someone whose letter will be the light of my day, no, my week. Someone to be real friends with.

If you're what I'm looking for, I will make every effort to send you beautiful, meaningful, deep letters, save for when I'm traveling, when you'll have to settle for whatever pen & paper I can easily have on hand.

Sounds like we make a match? Then don't hesitate to contact me by e-mail at noora(removethis)@hear.fi

Hello and welcome, fellow pen-pal and calligraphy lovers! I hope this becomes a very fruitful community for us all. If you're just getting started learning how to write calligraphy, let me provide you with a couple of pointers and tips to getting started:

While I recommend taking a class or two to learn how to hold your calligraphy pen properly, how to master the letters of the alphabet, and many other advanced techniques, I'm a firm believer that you can teach yourself the art of writing these letters with hard work and determination!